Torn at the Soul
by naturally morbid
Summary: On-Hold. AU A mysterious stranger comes to live with Ginny's family, but he seems familiar even though it seems impossible. Severus Snape is sixteen again, whether he likes it or not. Will Ginny be able to help or do some habits linger through death? Ginny/Snape
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Well I have never posted a Harry Potter fic before. I have several in the works but this is the first one I feel confident in sharing so far. *humbles* Please enjoy! I know this is just a prologue, but I will have the first chapter up hopefully soon. I just wanted to get some reception on this one, to see if I'm going in a good direction or not.

Stuff before you read: Takes place during book 7, but some things are going to be discarded, changed, and such. I'll try to work in as much cannon as the fic allows, but I'm going to consider it AU for the time being. In advance, this is a Snape/Ginny fic. So, eventually they will be together. Please no flaming reviews because you simply don't agree with the pairing.

Summary: AU A mysterious stranger comes to live with Ginny's family, but he seems familiar even though it seems impossible. Severus Snape is sixteen again, whether he likes it or not. Will Ginny be able to help or do some habits linger through death? Ginny/Snape

Rating: T for now.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters within this piece of fiction. They belong to J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter franchise. The plot for the fic is a product of my twisted mind.

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Torn at the Soul

Prologue

They say that murder rips a soul in two.

But it is what is done with that ripped soul that makes the difference.

Most wizards have never heard of a horcrux and probably never will in their entire lifetime. It is a dark brand of magic that few wizards research and fewer still attempt.

Taking a page from his former master's book (not quite literally), Severus Snape created a horcrux for himself.

It began when Albus Dumbledore asked Severus to kill him. To Severus, the task was nothing short of murder. To Dumbledore, it was a means to an end. Even though he said no consequences, Severus had his doubts. Dumbledore had been wrong before, he could very well be wrong again.

His soul was already beginning to fray at the edges while he chewed on the task. He had not believed Draco Malfoy would succeed in killing the old man himself, based on his feeble attempts all throughout his sixth year.

He knew he wasn't ready to die quite yet, despite his depression with the rest of the world that Lily no longer belonged to. He still had things to accomplish, students still needed to learn potions, Slytherin house needed him in charge, and he wanted to try again for the Dark Arts Defense position. It wouldn't do to die in the middle of them would it?

So he found the very same book that Tom Riddle must have used when he was there over fifty years ago and began to study. He would have never admitted it out loud, but he felt like one of his own students, working long into the night hoping to perfect it.

Severus was afraid to say that he might die at any moment. The dark lord could lose favor with him in the blink of an eye and then he would be as dead as that flea-bitten dog Sirius Black. No, he had to keep living somehow, just to spite everyone.

When the moment finally came for Draco to kill Dumbledore, the boy backed out, just as everyone had thought. Draco wasn't a killer; he wasn't even very good at being evil. He must have taken that from his mother's side, Severus mused remembering some of the things Lucius put him and others through during their years together at Hogwarts.

Severus took over instead, trying to remain as chilly as possible, as if killing mattered nothing. It nearly destroyed him, but now he could salvage his soul, as insurance for his part in this war. Just has he had suspected, Albus was wrong.

He was confident in his attempt, sealing himself in his old potions book from his 6th year. It was where he sealed some of his favorite spells, not to mention what had helped make him great and get his comfortable job. However, he had not won Lily's heart with it as he had wished.

He knew Harry had it after the attack on Draco using Occulmency and it wasn't hard to find it once again. No one would ever suspect until it was too late. With Harry on the run, he wouldn't dare break into Hogwarts to find it, should it prove useful.

Severus knew the book had been hidden in the room of requirement too, as that was where Tom Riddle hid the very book he had used. It was where everyone stored their skeletons; in fact, he had found one or two up there. He wondered if they were some sort of joke or something more sinister.

He stored the book in his muggle home at Spinner's End, safe, where no one could use it accidently or damage it. Few people even knew where his home was located, so it would probably never be disturbed.

And just as Severus feared, the Dark Lord finally tried to destroy him, sending Nagini while that Potter boy watched. At least Harry knew the truth now right? Finally he could understand after all those years, the things that he had kept to himself.

It was important that Harry know the truth, just in case Severus was wrong in his spellcasting. Lily would have liked that, his finally sharing his memories with Harry. He was pretty believable as dead, just as he had been while an agent.

Then it was darkness, nothingness. No time, no want, no thoughts, no cares.

X

"Can you believe the Dark Lord destroyed 'is most trusted advisor?" one quiet, Cockney voice whispered to another as they began to search through the bookcases that stretched from floor to ceiling in the cramped dwelling.

"Severus Snape?" the other voice answered back equally quiet as its owner opened and tossed another book to the floor. The former owner's secrets were hard to locate. Most of his books were advanced dark potions and arts, though interestingly enough, some muggle books were tossed in.

"Yeah, but no one said why. That's why we're 'ere cleaning his 'ouse. The Dark Lord wants to be sure he wasn't 'iding anythin' else."

"Wow, I'd hate to get on his bad side then." The Death Eaters continued to sort through the books, hardly looking at the contents as they tumbled to the piles on the floor. They were low ranking, their orders coming down through connections at the top.

"Since 'arry Potter is on the run, I guess 'e can't be too careful," one continued. He reached for another old spell book, his fingers brushing the worn spine. He didn't even have time to shout as an eerie green light gripped the room and he disappeared.

His partner, knocked over by an unseen force, righted himself feeling dazed and began to look around. The pile of books was still there, just as they had been moments before, but his partner was nowhere in sight. There wasn't even a trace of fabric.

Instead, there was a scared looking young man lying across them. Greasy curtains of black hair fell around his thin, sallow face. He was dressed in used Slytherin robes, now covered in dust from the books. Onyx eyes blinked open and began searching.

"Who are you?" he snapped, trying to raise himself from the mess, brushing his robes off. He seemed to be inspecting.

"Who am I? Who are you?" the Death Eater asked. He was so surprised that he didn't immediately try to stun the boy, just to make sure he wasn't Harry Potter in disguise, at least until the proper authorities could verify.

The young man narrowed his black eyes and began checking for his wand, "I am the owner of this house." The Death Eater merely laughed. This boy was amusing, whoever he was. He guessed that the young man had somehow taken a portkey to the residence by accident.

"The owner of this house is dead. He has been for a few weeks. The Dark Lord killed him. Now where did you come from?" He was probably harmless, even if he found his wand, which he didn't. He spotted the other Death Eater's wand that had been abandoned in the flash, and snatched it up.

"I refuse to answer that, but you need to leave." His voice carried no hint of trembling, though the man was hardly surprised. He bravely pointed the borrowed wand at the still seated Death Eater.

"You're going to make me?" The man roared with laughter. The boy wasn't going to have it any longer. He uttered a curse under his breath; the man stopped laughing as long gashes appeared on his face and chest, and then collapsed backward in a heap of dusty black robes and blood.

Severus Snape felt sixteen again, because he was. He was a teenager again and he wasn't quite sure how it happened. He felt sure he had sealed his former self in merely the book, unchanged, but here he was looking like he should have been in his sixth year. He had been lucky though; that the wand had worked for him as it had, given that it wasn't his.

But his body was real, although it wasn't supposed to be. He had hoped to gain power through an author and pen, slowly and sapping. Instead, something must have happened, something he didn't plan for, an error in his spell casting.

Now it was a little too late to be questioning his good fortune. He flexed a hand and felt his robes once more, the material soft and worn beneath his slender fingers. He was alive and breathing, like a second chance. He was going to start over again from sixteen whether he liked it or not.

X

Author's Note: Good start? Please let me know!


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Thank you for the encouragemen on the prologue! I know I haven't responded to reviews yet, but I'm going to. I've been busy working on chapter one and school and such (finals are such a drag!). But here is Chapter 1 for your reading pleasure. I really hope you enjoy it, please be sure to tell me what you think.

I don't really have much to explain about this chapter. I hope it makes sense, but I don't want to ruin it for you. It was fun writing the different characters, especially later. I know it does sort of start out sad, but it will be more interesting. I've had a good friend read it for me, to give me her opinion. And I really can't wait to share it with you! So I'll stop babbling now.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its associated characters. This plot is from my twisted mind.

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Torn at the Soul

Chapter 1

Ginny Weasley was bored.

She couldn't stop a sigh from escaping her lips as she stared at her ceiling. She had been confined to the Burrow for months now it seemed, at least since Easter. It was now the beginning of June. Harry had fled to god knows where again with Ron and Hermione in tow.

She had learned to stop missing him.

He had more important things to do than contact her. Besides, it would endanger everyone. So instead, this was how Ginny passed her time; watching her ceiling for any sign of change, just in case it might fall or something drastic. She felt so useless!

She wished desperately that she could be out helping the cause, taking down Death Eaters, running intelligence to Order members, or at least at school. But her parents insisted that remaining at home during the troubling times was better in the long run, and then placed her under house arrest.

Molly was sure her daughter was suffering some sort depression and tried to rouse her from it with chores and menial housework. Even pulling the gnomes from the garden did little to change her attitude. She merely watched as Fred and George threw them into the field.

Everything was different, tainted by Voldemort's darkness. Tasks that normally brought amusement and joy were dull, as if the whole world were holding its breath. People were losing hope that he would ever be stopped.

Word spread that he had killed Snape, his most trusted advisor. Word spread even faster that right until the end Snape had still been working for the Order as well. Harry had been good enough to tell them that before he disappeared again.

As much as Ginny thought she hated the old potions master, she still felt sad that he was gone. It was even sadder to learn the truth, his whole cheerless history, like peeling back what you thought was an onion to discover a sweet treat.

It seemed that nothing was going to break the morose mist in the Burrow air, until one day when Kingsley Shacklebolt showed up on their doorstep, bringing company.

X

Ginny could hear his deep voice even as far up as her room. He never visited like the other Order members. Curiosity getting the better of her, she rolled silently off her bed and began to sneak down the old stairs.

She couldn't understand distinct words until she was on the second floor. She paused.

"…the Ministry picked him up on an alert about underage wizardry at Spinner's End, Snape's old home. He had tangled with a Death Eater."

"Oh you poor dear, all alone!" her mother exclaimed. Her mother was feeling more sympathetic all the time, when she wasn't bustling around the house trying to keep busy. Ginny figured her mother and father wanted to fight as much as she did, but knew they couldn't because of her.

"The rest of the Order members have questioned him," By question Ginny knew that he meant used Occulmency on him, "and feel that he is safe. He has no wand either."

"But what on earth was he doing there?"

"He couldn't tell us. We're guessing the Death Eater took him there as part of torture and information." She slowly continued down the stairs until she was waiting on the last one, their voices perfectly clear now.

"Well he is welcome to stay here with us," her father assured Kingsley. "We can always use the extra help with Charlie, Bill, and Ron abroad."

"What is your name dear?"

"Tobias," a separate voice answered. "Tobias Prince." The last name sounded familiar to Ginny but she couldn't place it. Maybe it was just a common name. Careful to keep the last step from creaking, she poked her head around the corner of the doorway.

Alas! She could see nothing other than the back of Kingsley and her parents who were luckily not looking her way. She pressed herself against the wall and waited for more information.

"The Ministry was going to lock him up or execute him, but I was able to get him away along with another group of people. He is the only one who needs a place to hide."

"Not a problem," her father continued. Their footsteps were coming her way, toward the door! Ginny wasn't sure what to do. She waited for a moment and decided that she had done nothing wrong. It would look like she had just happened to come down the stairs.

"Always a pleasure to see you Ginny," Kingsley smiled as he nodded in her direction.

"Ah Ginny, I didn't realize you were down here," her father said. "Just in time." He pointed toward the kitchen and began to show Shacklebolt out. She nodded a return greeting, smiled, and headed past him.

"Ginny, we have a new houseguest," her mother smiled, her hands on the shoulders of a rather skinny, long-haired youth. She was probably sizing up extra portions to put a little extra weight on his bones Ginny guessed. With a gentle prompt, the boy turned around to face her.

She noticed first his penetrating onyx eyes. Had she seen those eyes before? They reminded her of someone. They were set in a thin, sallow face framed with long curtains of black hair. Her heart nearly stopped. Snape?

No. She shook her head, trying to clear away the cobwebs.

Snape was dead. Harry had seen him die. Voldemort had murdered him in his "grand" quest for power.

This boy was much younger than her Potions Master anyway, though he did have a similar nose. The thought flickered across her mind that maybe he was of relation to Snape, like a nephew or dare she even consider it, a son. As far as the rest of the wizarding world knew, Snape was single.

No wonder, she nearly snorted, with his attitude. She couldn't imagine the sort of woman that might be even remotely, morbidly attracted to him. She needed to stop thinking of his love life, before her train of thought led her down some paths she might not want to explore.

He was taller than her mother; then again Ginny was nearly taller than her mother too. She guessed somewhere in the area of 180 centimeters. He had tried vainly to dress in muggle clothing; a dark blue shirt that was too big for him and black pants that sagged. She hid her smile, as it reminded her of Harry.

"Hi," she mumbled. What had he called himself again? Then she remembered she wasn't supposed to hear it. Hadn't Shacklebolt said they found him where Snape used to live? Maybe she had been pondering too much on his death lately and her hearing was tricking her.

"Hello." He seemed awkward, his eyes darting around, coming to rest on her face every now and again. But she supposed there wasn't much too look at in their kitchen, even for someone new.

"Ginny this is Tobias Prince. Tobias, this is my daughter Ginny." He bowed slightly, so stiffly that his eyes never left her face, but just enough his curtains of hair brushed his cheeks. "He's going to be staying with us Ginny, so why don't you show him to Charlie's old room?"

He had only one worn and frayed bag with him, which he kept a death-grip on. He eyed her warily as she began to lead the way.

"Come on," she smiled as she gestured toward the stairs. "This way." It was like having Harry over for the first time, only much less awkward on her part. She had done a lot of growing up between her first year and sixth year at Hogwarts. Having Tom Riddle invade her body had forever changed things for her.

No one in her family could relate to that section of her life. Not many people could relate to an experience such as that period. She often wondered was that what attracted her to Harry. Was it only because he was afflicted by the disease known as Lord Voldemort too?

Her mind prompted its usual _yes,_ but Ginny squashed it down. No, they had plenty of things in common. Quidditch. Being in the same house. Being friends with her youngest brother. A shared dislike of evil. But she found herself wondering if that was enough. Now was hardly the time to worry about their relationship, or lack thereof.

She didn't know who Tobias was but she would try her hardest to find out everything she could about him, at least to make him more comfortable during his stay. Maybe someone had mentioned a relative? And he reminded her of a young Snape, but she tried to shrug that off as just coincidence. It was just a coincidence wasn't it? At least Tobias was very quiet. He said nothing.

She opened the door and allowed him to walk in past her. "This was my brother, Charlie's room. He works with dragons." Tobias only nodded, looking around. He set his bag on the bed and headed over to the window. He appeared to be longing for something.

"Thank you," he mumbled, remembering she was there and turning back to face her.

"I'll let you get settled and then come back for dinner." She shut the door softly behind her, wondering if she had been spending too much time in her room alone.

X

He wanted to flinch every time he had to say or hear his father's first name, but it was the only cover he had for the moment. No one would believe that he was Snape. Besides, Voldemort would want to destroy him all over again. He figured amongst all the confusion within the Ministry, they wouldn't have time to check and see if he were registered or not.

It was the first thing that came to his mind though, when the ministry arrived. He should have remembered that the decrees for underage wizardry would still be in place even now. He had only been gone a few months he gathered.

Right after he had cursed the Death Eater, two new ministry members had shown up to apprehend him, well at least someone. He guessed they were not taking any chances these days.

But the Weasley house?

Never, in his wildest and most unrealistic dreams would he have imagined he would end up at the Burrow. _Though,_ his anxious mind prompted, _you never imagined you would be able to bring yourself back from the dead. _

He sighed and looked out the window. Best to the thankful for the present. He was starting over; he could be a whole new person. He could make amends for his past life. Best of all, if he saw Harry Potter anytime soon, he could kick his ass.

This brought a rare smile to his face. Oh the advantages of being young!

X

As soon as she could, she ran up to the Twin's room. Since they had moved back in, she didn't feel quite as alone. They had felt it would be safer to live at home instead of the flat above their shop or at Aunt Muriel's. Most of the Ally was closed anyway.

It was almost like the old days when they would spend the summers together. She just wished the circumstances were not so grim; otherwise it would have been delightful fun, full of plans to drive their mother wild. Now they had to spend it quietly.

Their mother would probably call them all down in a minute to explain exactly what was going on. She knew she had missed some of the conversation, being so far up in the house.

Ginny knocked rapidly on their door, hearing something bang inside that she hoped didn't mean they had broken something else. "Fred, George!"

"Where's the fire Gin?" Fred asked, answering the door with a bemused smile on his face. She could see a smoke smudge on the side of his face and George waving from their floor, his sweater slightly singed. She tried not to look at the lack of George's ear, remembering that Snape had cursed it off.

"In your room I should say," she joked. "But that is not what I came up here for." She pushed past him into their room, trying to ignore the acrid smell of burning wool.

"What was going on downstairs?" George questioned. "We heard voices." Normally she would have made a joke about his sanity, but she bypassed it in favor of the serious news she brought them.

"It was Kingsley," she said hurriedly; then she began to fill them in on what she had heard and seen.

"So, they find this kid in Snape's old house and they don't think anything is wrong?" Fred asked.

"Well, the Order tested him," Ginny explained thoughtfully.

"So? He could still be a lying git," George motioned.

"He doesn't have a wand," she added.

"So, there are things you can do without a wand. Muggles manage to kill each other every day," Fred added. Before Ginny could say much else, Mrs. Weasley's voice filtered through the house to their room, calling them downstairs.

"Ah wonderful, there is mum now," George smiled.

"Best go and see what she wants now." Fred and Ginny helped George off the floor before the three of them filed down to the kitchen. She was bustling around making dinner preparations while their father at the kitchen table. They sat down quickly, not wanting to delay the truth.

"We're going to have a guest," Arthur spoke quietly. Ginny could already hear the vegetables chopping themselves behind her. She was a little surprised that her mother had not requested her help with dinner yet.

"We've heard," the Twins said in unison, giving Ginny a look. She played with the ends of her hair, avoiding them.

"His name is Tobias Prince and he will be staying here indefinitely," their father continued as if he hadn't noticed. "He's around Ginny's age, and the rest of the Order agrees that he is as much a victim as we all are. He was captured by the new Ministry and brought here to hide."

"Oh that poor thing! So thin and sallow!" Molly commented from the pan she was busy enchanting.

"Does he have a wand?" Fred asked for good measure.

"No, of course not. I don't want you treating him badly," she interjected at once. Ginny wondered if this was because he looked a little like Harry. Her mother had once said the same things about him as well, every summer he came to visit.

"But we don't have to trust him," George muttered.

"We're not asking you to trust him, although you should at least trust the judgment of those who placed him here, we're just asking you to be courteous to him," their father explained.

"Now, George, you look a fright. All of you go and wash up. Ginny, be a dear and get Tobias on your way down?"

"Yes mum."

X

Ginny stood outside of Tobias' door, her hand on the knob, ready to beckon him for dinner. It was simple and to the point; money being even more of a problem than usual. But at least she still had her family right?

But what about Tobias? Who was he exactly? Could they trust him? He didn't have a wand sure, but muggles didn't need wands and they killed each other every day, as the twins had so delightfully pointed out. She resolved to keep an eye on him during his stay.

She was curious though, naturally, of his past. Their father had said nothing of what she had secretly overheard and she wasn't about to press the matter. However, she wouldn't be able to get answers until Tobias chose to share them with her.

"Tobias?" She asked as she rapped her fingers on the hardwood door, unable to hear what he was doing within. Severus had heard her coming down the stairs a minute or so before. He had only been staring out the window once again.

He had been terrified within the ministry, that he would lose his life, just shortly after receiving it back. But Shacklebolt had saved him somehow, along with other men and women who were facing certain death and torture at the hands of Death Eaters.

Severus had been the youngest among their numbers and he supposed Kingsley felt sorry for him. He had been still half dressed in his school clothing after all, before they had given him something else to wear. Or perhaps he reminded the other man of someone. Whatever the reason, he wasn't worrying about his life too long.

The Order had been easy to fool, since he was the master of Occulmency. Several false, heartbreaking memories of a family torn apart by death eaters, just barely escaping with his life, only to be whisked off to Spinner's End to be tortured for information.

"Yes?" he answered. Now it was going to be difficult keeping his secret from the Weasley clan. But at least it had been them as opposed to Longbottom he consoled himself as he headed for the door. He wasn't sure he could have put up with the clumsy boy and his stern grandmother.

He remembered a few years back, with the return of Lupin, the rumors of the boggart that had sported his body in an outfit of Neville's grandmother. While not the worst thing that he had been mentioned in, given his Death Eater track record, it was still slightly humiliating.

"Mum says dinner is ready. Time to join us." She realized how final that sounded. "I mean, time to wash up and come down." Even rephrasing it made it sound ominous to her ears. "What I'm trying to say is it would be lovely if you could join us for-"the door swung open just as she finished "dinner."

Tobias was a foot away from her face, leaving them both surprised to find they were so close. He cleared his throat and stepped back to give her space. Severus felt a flare of old irritation at being disturbed but he swallowed it back and concentrated. The youngest Weasley seemed just as surprised as he felt and his face softened.

He had taken a strange sort of pity on her since her first year. He knew exactly how deceptive the dark lord could really be, allowing anyone to be lured in by his intelligence and charm. It had been frightening to think that the basilisk had nearly taken her life, before it really started.

But still, she was a member of the Weasley family and that had been enough to irritate him so he never took it easy on her. She was proficient in his class, but lacked the natural flare required as well. He was, however, grateful she had not behaved like the twins or Ron, and for that she was ignored instead of a source of ridicule.

"Where is the washroom?" he forced himself to ask, selecting a neutral tone. It wouldn't do to be upsetting her now, when he had just arrived. He was going to have to reform his personal preferences as far as attitude went. It might give him away.

_But it is going to be like pulling teeth_, he thought, borrowing a muggle phrase. He was going to have to do something he had not done since he was a child, when Lily had been alive and they had still been good friends. He would have to be nice. He wanted to shudder but just barely restrained himself.

After another second of staring, Ginny pointed, telling him "That way." Her mind was miles away as he brushed by her, recalling a school memory. During this year, she had been sent to Snape's office several times during the year for causing disruptions. When she had knocked on the heavy wood, the former Potions Master had flung the door open and been almost surprised to find her standing so close.

But people could be completely different and still open a door similarly to another person right?

As she watched Tobias' retreating back, she considered this. If someone had told her earlier in the day that she would be contemplating something as mundane as how people open doors and peer at you, she would have laughed.

Ginny shrugged and began to follow. It was just coincidence was all; it had to be right? He was new. He was probably frightened being dragged from wherever he had been living before, to the ministry, to their house. She would have been, no matter how brave she would have said she'd been.

Banishing all intrusions once and for all, she promptly made her way downstairs as well, for what was sure to be an interesting dinner.

X

And Ginny wasn't wrong.

The Twins sat themselves on either side of him as she emerged from the washing room. She had been hoping she could snag a spot beside him, at least to keep him safe from both of them at the same time.

Instead, she ended up beside her mother, not even directly across from him. She hated sitting between the Twins on a good day. She couldn't imagine sitting between them if your life was in shambles.

Her father cast a wary eye on the trio as she helped her mother serve the food. Maybe, she hoped, he would rein them in a bit. He refused to look either one of them directly in the eye, keeping them firmly planted on his plate unless absolutely necessary to raise them.

"So where are you from?" George asked, helping his plate.

"What are your hobbies?" Fred asked.

"Boys, that's quite enough out of you for the moment," Molly interjected before they had a chance to inquire further. It was plain as day what they were up to and she wasn't going to stand for it.

"Awww mum, we're just trying to get to know our house guest a little better," George sobered, but Ginny was sure he didn't mean it.

"Right and your father is a muggle," she said her voice dripping with sarcasm and her eyes flashing.

"It's quite alright," Severus spoke up. He could play their game too. Sooner or later they would need a back story. He had prepared one as best he could while with the Order, using pieces of his own childhood he had often imagined or wished to be true in regards to his own family.

"I lived in London with my parents. My hobbies are reading and writing." Very simple, generic nothing special or easily traced. He answered the question, but without giving away a lot of information or characteristics. He didn't make up siblings because sooner or later he would need to provide proof. Reading and writing were general activities he engaged in for pleasure.

"Well isn't that nice dear?" Molly smiled at him, though it had a sad air to it. Ginny figured she was thinking of Ron again, and how long it had been since they heard from him.

"London hm? Well you must have interacted with muggles at some point," Arthur prompted. The Weasleys tried not to roll their eyes at what was coming. "Tell me, did you ever use their transportation?"

It took all of Severus' will power in biting his tongue to keep from retorting with a sarcastic remark. Even outside of Order meetings he was still annoying. He could feel a vein twitching somewhere in his forehead.

"Just once," he commented. Arthur looked set for details, but another stern look from Molly quieted him immediately. Ginny watched for any sign of change in his demeanor to indicate that the twins were up to something.

While her mother's eyes were on her plate, Tobias' meat moved itself from under his fork. While her father requested another glass of pumpkin juice, his potatoes levitated for just a second. How Tobias could put up with the twin's charming his food she wasn't sure.

Had it been her, she would have hexed them into next Tuesday. Of course, neither of them was allowed to do magic right then either, or at least she wasn't. It irritated her that he just sat there and took it.

"Stop it," she hissed at them when Molly's back was turned.

"Stop what?" Arthur asked.

"Stop stealing all of the vegetables," she lied, not wanting to embarrass him by causing a scene.

"Fred, George, leave the vegetables alone," he told them sternly. Severus kept his eyes on his plate, trying not to burst. He badly wanted to make remarks regarding the boys' collected intelligence and manners. It was embarrassing that the youngest Weasel was coming to his aid in her own small way.

He knew it was part of the act, not to lash out, but it was terribly frustrating. His resolve was starting to crack and he wasn't sure that he could restrain himself until he figured out a further plan. In fact, he wasn't sure he could restrain himself during dinner.

And yet, without knowing who he truly was, Ginny Weasley was standing up for him anyway. It showed something about the girl's character that would be both an asset and a curse to her in the future.

The twins shared a look when Ginny wasn't looking. It was time to up the ante if they could. She would be subject to their ridicule into her personal affairs regarding Harry and this new boy, Tobias. Ginny knew it was coming sooner or later. This was what brothers did.

Once dinner was finished, just to show up her brothers, she rose and said: "I think it is lovely that you're joining us Tobias," flashing her most sincere smile. Her mother beamed from where she had started to gather the dishes. "Despite what others might feel." She glanced at both twins.

Severus found he could not look the girl in the eye. How foolish of her to stick up for him when some of it was his fault her family had to live in this manner, why one of her bothersome brothers was missing an ear, why her boyfriend was off fighting the dark lord, and why the whole wizarding world was ending.

Being faced with this made him feel sick to his stomach. He wanted to regurgitate the delicious dinner. Instead, he stared into his lap.

"Fred, George, you can do the dishes," Molly instructed. "Ginny, will you help Tobias find all the things he needs for bed?"

"Of course." She waited for him to rise and follow her upstairs so that she could show him the rest of The Burrow. He was quiet for the entire tour, his bottomless eyes taking in everything she pointed out, every detail she brought to his attention.

The look unnerved her at first, as it reminded her of someone she couldn't place. She brushed it aside until she could mull it over later in her room. The name would come to her in time.

"Would you like some help changing the sheets on the bed?" It was polite to offer she guessed. Some guys didn't know how to change linens. Severus wasn't sure what to reply, not wanting to be rude but also not wanting her help.

"I wouldn't want to trouble you with such a menial task." He tried to keep out the sarcasm, watching her eyes to see if she detected any air of maliciousness.

"No problem." She grabbed a set of them and led him back to his temporary room. "I'll just fetch some towels should you want to take a relaxing shower." She had to escape those eyes before she drove herself slightly insane trying to figure out where she had seen those eyes before. Her mind drifted to Professor Snape once more, but it contradicted itself and screamed out the impossibilities as she calmly walked toward the hall closet.

Severus was glad to see her leave at least for a few minutes. This body, it was awkward around the second time. He felt so powerless. He wasn't sure he would ever grow used to that if this were permanent, and it seemed it for the time being it was.

X

Later that night, after Ginny had helped settle Tobias in and managed to avoid the twins and their questions, she lay awake mulling over the strangest day she had experienced in a long time.

Most wizards did not return from the dead. She had _not _fancied Professor Snape when she had been at the school, but she didn't hate him quite like Harry. So why was she thinking about him almost obsessively today?

Tomorrow she would have to de-gnome the garden or do housework, anything to keep her mind from making correlations between Severus Snape and Tobias Prince.

With that, she settled into an uneasy sleep of black, bottomless eyes, sallow skin, and a voice commanding her to stir the caldron or she would fail.

X

Author's Note: So, did you like it? Please let me know!


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! I would have had this chapter posted sooner, but some things have been happening in my personal life (the sudden loss of a parent) and I just haven't had much motivation or time to write.

Thank you to my friend AshTonks for reading this in advance and giving me her opinion ^_^ Thank you to everyone that reviewed, faved, added this to their alert, etc. I really appreciate the support and it gives me strength to continue the writing process for this story.

A thing or two about this chapter. One) Hoped I kept everyone in character as best I could, given the circumstances. Two) There is a small sort of reference to Potter Puppet Pals. Tell me if you found it XD Three) Please Enjoy! I do have a plan for this, so just bear with me.

Other than that, remember, positive reviews and critiques. This is AU, so some things in the book are disregarded, changed around, and generally twisted about for my own purposes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or its associated characters. They all belong to J.K Rowling. No money is made from this.

* * *

Torn at the Soul

Chapter 2

Having not rested as fully as she would have liked, Ginny woke in a horrid mood.

From the way she sat up, to the way her feet touched the chilly hardwood floor, she was already having traitorous thoughts about the way the world worked. The twins were both pounding on her door, calling for her to join them at the table.

She had hopes of sleeping in a bit longer, if only to make up for shut-eye time lost to a certain potions master. At least she had not dreamed of Tom Riddle once more. The thought both cheered and worried her.

She grabbed the worn out white bathrobe from the back of her desk chair, wrapping it around her shoulders as she tried to shake herself into organization. It would not do, to kill her brothers before they had a chance to eat. Well, maybe her mother wouldn't notice if one of them went missing though...

Instead, she would need to put on her best face, taking it all on her chin, so that she could show Tobias a lovely stay. Ginny would need to change for when Harry returned. She didn't want him thinking of her as the same strong headed little girl he left behind, even if it killed her.

"I'll be right down," she shouted at them, just to make them stop. It mimicked the sleep-deprived headache she was nursing as she stood slowly. It was horrid to say that she was used to this sort of thing.

Since her first year, she still dreamed of a certain young dark lord, no matter how much she wished she could obliterate the memories. Often she worried that she might have a mental link with him, similar to Harry's. She was careful not to let her family know that she was still having problems even after this long.

Ginny feared if they ever found out, it would be a one way trip to St. Mungo's. She didn't want to be locked up and altered. A little lost sleep in exchange for her freedom was a small price to pay compared to the horrors her teenage mind cooked up.

Sometimes it required her to be up and about the house in the middle of the night, to calm her nerves and ground her soul. There were tears, but not very often any more.

She stretched her awkward growing limbs and dressed. She figured an old outfit would do just fine, since she would probably be performing more manual labor with her mother today. It wasn't important how she looked as much as it was important that she be on her best behavior.

"Ginny, hurry up or your boyfriend is going to wonder where you are," George's or maybe Fred's voice floated through the door. The tone was seducing her to tell him off, but she bit her tongue as she brushed out her flaming locks, preparing to tie them out of the way of her face.

As she had realized at dinner last night, their ridicule into the affairs of her life would come sooner or later. She was personally glad it was sooner than later.

"Yeah, since Harry is away and all that. No Dean around, or Michael either. Just a lovely dark and mysterious stranger, like those kind from the muggle books," the other one laughed.

She could feel a vein or two on her forehead ready to burst, trying not to kill them. She loved her brothers and was grateful for their company, but sometimes they tread thin ice with her. _Just don't give in,_ she thought bitterly to herself. _It's what they want. Just hold your tongue and proceed quietly-_

Her calming trail of thought was broken completely when they began to make loud kissing noises. Slamming her thick brush on the heavy dresser, she dashed for the door, flinging it open and proceeding to chase them all the way down the stairs, yelling all manner of insults, her plan completely forgotten.

Meanwhile, in his temporary room, Severus was contemplating death for the second or third time that morning, even before rising from bed. If he had just thought to bring a diary...

How on earth he was ever going to survive this living hell on earth he wasn't sure. The twins had given him a similar greeting as well, followed by a nosy Mrs. Weasley, and now by the racket the only three children at home were making.

If Ginevra had seemed refined at dinner the night before, all traces were gone now with her hot temper and quick mouth. He pulled the pillow over his head further, wishing that he could have maybe passed quietly in his sleep...

Sleeping in a new environment had taken some adjusting. The Weasley house creaked with old magic, since he was sure that the only thing keeping it together with its many additions. It was distracting; thinking any second Death Eaters were going to swoop in and reveal his identity.

Even after he had finally managed to coax himself into a light rest, he was plagued by phantoms from his past. It was something he wasn't fond of discussing and hardly anyone had a clue about.

The day was already looking grim.

He knew that he couldn't stay under the pillow all day, so he pulled himself from the bed with great effort and began to gird his loins so to speak. Already the future looked so bleak. What could he possibly spend his days doing here?

That question would soon be answered once he reached the kitchen.

He was thankful to see that young Ginevra had taken the spot between the terrors, hopefully keeping his food stationary. Her fair cheeks were ruddy from the exercise, her once combed hair, mussed, he noted as well.

"Now today, I have quite a list of work for you children," Mrs. Weasley told them as she rationed out breakfast. "Tobias dear, this excludes you," she smiled. "I want you to have a hearty breakfast. It's going to be a long day."

"Aw, come on then, the new bugger should have to help," Fred protested.

"I won't have that sort of talk in this house," she told them sternly, "and he doesn't have to help with the chores if he doesn't want to." Ginny tried not to notice the look that passed between her older brothers.

It would not bode well with them. If the newcomer was smart, he would rethink sitting out and insist on helping anyway. Otherwise, she was uncertain of the twin's actions. Two minds were greater than one was true, good or bad.

Severus really would rather have not helped with any mundane tasks around the Burrow, but if he wanted to keep his cover good, he figured sooner or later it was going to crop up. From the evil eyes Fred and George were shooting him, he figured why not embrace it in full.

It would only serve to enhance his image with them, hopefully in such a way that could lead him out of there. He was determined not to spend all of his new life with the Weasleys.

"I will help," he spoke up. Ginny held back a sigh of relief. It seemed Tobias was smarter than she thought.

"Oh dear that's not necessary. Don't listen to the twin's talk," Molly tried to smooth over.

"No, really, I insist. I wouldn't feel right about staying if I didn't assist you." There, spoken with enough conviction and humility to fool her.

"You are such a sweetheart!" She leaned in to hug his shoulders and he had to resist the urge to stab her affection with his fork. "Fred, George, you could take a lesson from him."

"A lesson in being a prat maybe," Fred whispered to George.

"Or in being a kiss-up," George whispered back. Ginny didn't hear them though. Her mind had wandered off on a tangent once more. She could see him being a professor, with his long slender fingers and antisocial attitude. His speaking voice was even fairly clear, so he would be well understood.

There was a sharp dig to her ribs, drawing her from her slightly frightening thoughts once more. Tobias was staring at her, his sharp eyes taking in the fact she had been watching him.

"Ginny, is everything alright?" Molly asked, sitting down with them. "You're looking pale. Eat a little more today."

"I'm fine," she lied. "I was just thinking. Sorry." She wasn't really hungry, but made an effort to eat anyway. Her mother would give her hell for letting it go to waste. Severus was glad the boys made little effort to move his food around the plate, though he figured it had something to do with the sharp kicks the youngest was dealing under the table.

"I need the garden de-gnomed again," Molly explained once the dishes were cleared and she made certain everyone had eaten their fill, forcing Severus to eat extra even though he thought he would burst. "I've got your father cleaning and sorting out his muggle artifacts." The tone in which she said artifacts revealed that she thought the knick knacks junk. "You know how funny he finds them. But I also want the plants tended to and the vegetables taken care of, otherwise you won't eat.

After that I want the house dusted, no wands, Fred and George, then rooms organized and the wash finished. If you are still bored once that is finished, come find me. I'm sure I'll still have things left to do. I might even have robes left for you to mend."

Ginny knew most of it was just busy work to restore some order of normality to their home, to keep their mother from worrying about Ron and the others. It was boring, but if it kept her mother happy, she was willing to give it a try.

"Let's start with the gnomes first," George suggested. "They're the most fun." Ginny and Tobias followed along behind them.

"Have you de-gnomed a garden?" Ginny asked Tobias, making a sincere effort to be polite.

"Not in a long time," he confessed. Severus wasn't lying; he had probably been sixteen the first time since he had performed any sort of yard work, magical or otherwise.

"It's easy," she smiled. "A good way to take out any frustrations." And she figured he was plenty frustrated by her family already. She knew she was. Maybe she could hit one of her brothers 'accidentally' with a gnome.

The sun was already quite bright, the air still reasonably cool, as the four of them searched for the squatters.

"Oi! Got one here!" Fred shouted holding one of the angry little creatures as far away from him as possible.

"So do I!" Ginny shouted back. Hers was furious, his little arms and legs flailing, trying to escape her tight grasp. She knew it didn't hurt them, but she still felt rather sorry for them, just the same until hers bit her with surprisingly sharp little teeth. She swore under her breath and gave him a firm shake.

"Alright, then let's see who can throw theirs further then," George smirked. Despite his resolve to stay as far away from any of them, not allow himself to let down his guard, Severus found himself intrigued in the contest.

Ginny started spinning around the same time Fred did, the little creatures cursing at them. She had to admire their tenacity.

"Let's see who can get theirs past that rock over there," George directed. It was a little short of where they usually threw them. A good starting point. "On my count. Three, two, one, throw!"

Severus watched as two bodies flew through the early summer air, both of them soaring beyond the marker and landing with little thuds further away.

"Well Gin, I think you won this round." The gnomes were tottering drunkenly beyond the grass line, unable to find their bearings.

"No fair," Fred whined. "I'm a beater. It should have flown further."

"Pick one that isn't so fat next time," she smirked while her eyes were already scanning the ground for the next unlucky victim; though she knew she had probably just been lucky. Show one chink in your armor and you were done for; the twins would ridicule mercilessly.

"What about you Tobias?" George challenged. "Think you could do any better?"

Severus had to bite his tongue to keep from making a snotty retort. He would have rather told George where he could stick that gnome, but instead he tried to use the hesitation to his advantage to make it appear as nervousness.

"Yeah, I'll have a go at it," he countered. Ginny stopped herself immediately; this she had to see. Tobias did not seem the type to be competitive with her brothers. He seemed more the bookish type. She tried to hide the surprise on her face, crossing her arms over her chest, all matters forgotten for the moment.

Severus spotted one quickly, poking his head out of the ground to see what was going on. He knew the gnomes were not terrifically smart. Grasping firmly, he pulled and headed over to where George was waiting, Fred handing him a gnome.

He wanted to wipe those identical smirks off their faces, but a shot of uncertainty raced through him. What if he couldn't?

"Ready?" George asked.

"Of course," he affirmed. They began to swing the gnomes as Fred counted down for them. Severus was sorry to see that his just barely cleared the mark while George's flew further than Ginny's. "No fair!" he snapped. "Again."

And the chore turned into a free-for-all as everyone began to try to outdo the other. Easy laughter filled the air and a tight smile graced Severus' face. Ginny couldn't help but notice how different he looked, how the years were wiped away. Youth would be youth.

It reminded Ginny once more of Harry's first visit, back when times were lighter, no war or death, when she was a little girl untainted by the forces of darkness. Yes, hadn't it been right after that Tom Riddle had come into her life?

While Ginny was contemplating, she wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around her. Severus swung another gnome into the air, watching in quick horror as it headed for the youngest' head. He had let go at the wrong time, the gnome flying behind him instead of forward.

He willed her silently to move, hoping she would at the last second. His vocal cords remained frozen. Fred and George would kill him! "Miss Weasley!" he finally called, hoping to grab her attention as he started toward her. He didn't even notice he had called her that, instead of calling her Ginny like everyone else.

Too little too late, the gnome slammed into the side of Ginny's head as she turned to face him, knocking her to the ground. She crumpled like a rag doll, his heart jumping to his throat. He was done for! Oh Godric he had hit her with a gnome of all things!

"Ginny!" both of her brothers shouted as they ran from opposite sides toward her. Severus began to jog toward her as well. The gnome walked drunkenly away, no one noticing in the ensuing mania for Ginny's condition.

She had taken worse injuries just practicing for games; getting struck by a gnome was really nothing. Her head pounded as George helped her sit up, but it wasn't really life threatening. She could already see the color rising to the twins' hairlines.

Tobias had thrown the gnome, but he had tried to warn her, his face bearing the horror of his throw. Her brothers wouldn't see all that though. She had noted the politeness of his warning call though. Not Ginny; it was Miss Weasley. Rather like a professor, someone older, not a teenager.

"Gin, how are you feeling?" Fred asked, checking her cranium for any sign of damage. She wanted to smack his hands away.

"I'm fine, just hurts a bit is all."

"What did you do that for?" George asked, turning the full effect of his glare on Tobias.

"It was an accident," he snapped. "I didn't mean to hit her. I-"

"Right. I knew you were up to something," Fred shot back.

"Stop!" Ginny shouted. All the fuss was making her head hurt even more. "It was an accident. He was trying to warn me. My fault!" The twins were not going to be convinced so easily.

"We don't believe you," they said in unison. That twin 'in unison' thing really bugged her at the moment, though it usually cracked her up.

"Just leave him alone. I should have been paying more attention rather than day dreaming." She pushed both of them away to stand up.

Severus was relieved that she didn't appear to be hurt, but that was about it. He was more upset that she had not been paying attention previously. Probably daydreaming of 'wonderful' Potter. There she was, injured, and still defending a total stranger.

She was more than his pride could handle. As he was about to make a snide remark, she interjected again.

"I'll tell mum you're making trouble for Tobias," she warned, knowing full well it would have little effect on them. It was more a distraction, than a full threat. She rubbed the side of her head, checking for blood, and finding none. Perfectly fine, probably not even a concussion. The twins were overreacting.

"Oooo," they chorused, wiggling their fingers at her.

"Go on then," George nodded.

"Then we'll just resort to treating you like the baby of the family again," Fred added.

"I am the baby," Ginny snapped. Right now she would have really appreciated the use of her wand. Damn not being a year older! "Just leave Tobias alone," she instructed them. Color was now beginning to rise up her pale neck with her anger.

To the general surprise of all the males in the garden, Ginny grabbed one of Tobias' hands and stalked away to the back door for a little bit of privacy. She needed time to put a bolt on her anger and he needed desperately to be away from the awful scrutiny of the twins.

"I'm sorry about them," she told him as her hectic pace slowed somewhat. "Some people just don't know how to mind their manners!" she yelled back at the twins, knowing it was a somewhat childish move. She could see them snickering behind their hands. There would be hell to pay later, but Ginny figured their house guest could use a short break. The twins could sort out the garden while she and Tobias found work in the house.

Snape didn't say anything back to her right away. His mind had wandered time Ginny had intervened for him and he had become lost in another time and place quite similar. As he recalled, Lily had done similar things for him during their school days, though eventually he had driven her away, just as he did with everyone.

"I'm fine," he told Ginny roughly, tearing his hand away from her grasp. "I don't need _your_ help defending myself." He bit the end of his tongue hard enough to draw blood to keep from insulting her further.

The girl turned and gave him a hard stare, as if she knew who he truly was. A cold drop of sweat, despite the blazing sun above them, slid uncomfortably down his back. Her spice colored eyes, uncomfortably warm before, turned cold quickly.

"Oh really?" she asked, turning to face him, crossing her arms over her chest. Ginny knew his pride had to be a bit insulted, but she knew her brothers better than anyone. If she had allowed the show of masculinity to continue, it wouldn't have ended well for all parties involved.

"Yes," he hissed. "I was handling the situation swimmingly before you stepped in." Snape knew, in order to keep from blowing his cover completely, he should stop. But his tongue continued wagging on its own, even though his brain screamed to halt. "Is it the head trauma making you so ignorant or is it always this way Miss Weasley?"

Ginny could feel herself bristling all over with silent fury. Who was this total stranger to insult her? Her family had been gracious enough to take him in after all. Her knuckles cracked on both hands as she clenched her fists. It would simply not do, to punch this intruder on her everyday life. However, if he was going to act like Malfoy, maybe it would be a delightful life lesson...

"I know you're new around here but that gives you no right to speak that way to me. Especially after I defended you, hardly knowing you as such. If I hadn't stepped in, Fred and George would have beaten the snot out of you, though now I see that might have been a good idea."

Ginny wished she wasn't sounding like a younger version of her mother. The more she hung around the Burrow, the more she could see it. Where was her hit first and ask questions later fighting spirit? Had Harry taken it with him?

She narrowed her calm eyes at Tobias, almost urging him to start something else with her. She swore for a moment he reminded her once more of the deceased potions master but she let the thought go once more. His dark, troubled eyes slid away from her gaze, resting on the ground between them.

"I apologize," he gritted out. "I had no right." Snape feared he couldn't get a check on his anger. It threatened to explode out of him. His smart, sarcastic remarks had become so ingrained into his personality, that it was difficult to keep them from flying off the end of his unruly tongue.

This behavior, this pride, was exactly what caused the rift with Lily. Living with the Weasleys was his only chance at survival right now. He couldn't afford to make them angry and Ginevra was a force to be reckoned with. Severus knew that she was probably ten times more frightening than all of her brothers combined.

It was highly unfair of him to lash out, when she was just trying to help him, from the goodness of her young heart. It took courage to stand up to siblings for someone she could hardly trust, let alone know. Exactly why she was not in Slytherin.

"Apology accepted," she told him. Ginny was satisfied he at least gentleman enough to rectify the situation immediately. They stood in awkward silence for a moment. "Well I figure you can use a break from those two. How about we dust instead?"

"Fine," he nodded. He didn't trust himself to say anything beyond one word answers right now. Ginny led him to where the rags were kept for cleaning the house then divided them up into separate rooms, starting at the top of the house. She took Ron's room and gave him her room instead, just in case her brother had kept anything about his secret trip there.

Severus was thankful for the time alone, but he wasn't thrilled at the prospect of delving into Ginny's room. Despite his feeble protests, she remained adamant about her decision.

Opening the slightly creaky door, he found he had little to fear. It was a relatively normal, tidy room. He suspected the assignment was more to get him out of her hair, than to actually perform a task.

Surveying his surroundings, Severus realized that it had been a long time since he had found himself in a young witch's bedroom. But time had hardly changed the contents. As he had recalled, Lily had posters of her favorite music artists and quiddich players visible on her walls as well as Hogwarts materials scattered throughout the room, not limited to spell books or robes.

Ginny's room was no exception, although it was quite clean. He recognized it was probably from being stuck at home all day long. His own room had been rather neat for a teenage boy back in the day.

It was preferable to clean, rather than to listen to his father, or console his mother. It had been the one spot of order in his chaotic life, the habit carrying through to his space at Hogwarts while a student, and then in his office as a professor.

Subconsciously, he investigated things on Ginny's dresser and desk, his long fingers gingerly straightening a bauble here or a pen there before he remembered he was supposed to be dusting and nothing else.

When he would visit Lily at her home on summer breaks, he would always organize things in her room too. The gentle memory made him stop for a few seconds. All of his memories seemed to be painfully fresh, he figured because of the magic involved, his past self colliding with his present self.

Realizing she might be back any moment to check on him, or that Mrs. Weasley might happen in, Severus quickly tried to look busy while trying to brush his thoughts back of how discreetly feminine the room felt.

Meanwhile, Ginny was busy trying to find anything Ron's room that her mother hadn't already tidied. She knew that her mother came up here quite often, as if it would bring the next to youngest back.

Everything was cleaner than it usually was when her slightly older brother was home. Normally the bed was slightly unmade, his robes and homework in various places, making the room looked lived in.

The ghoul that had been made to look like Ron had gone back to the attic until he was needed. She couldn't blame him. No one had come sniffing for the trio yet. Which Ginny realized was a little strange.

Not that they wanted anyone to come looking. They would see very quickly her brother wasn't home, even with the ghoul.

It struck her, just how empty the house was how dire the situation had become, and how little she was doing to help. She should have been allowed to go with them, as she had helped get them out of binds before.

Staying home and doing chores was just about the last thing she needed to be doing right now. There had to be some better way of spending her time. Feeling frustrated and terribly younger than she was, Ginny dusted the already clean items and hurried from the room to find Tobias.

Tobias had left the door to her room open, so Ginny could see him well before he realized she was there. Feeling rather voyeur, she watched him investigate her meager personal items, such as small gifts on her desk, or her books.

Clearing her throat, she asked, "See anything you like?" She watched his back go rigid at being caught so shamelessly snooping.

"I was just trying to get to know my housemates a little better," he sniffed.

"Oh hm." He raised his eyebrows. "Do you play?" She stepped further into the room.

"What?" He bit off another sharp reply about her lack of intelligence. It would not bode well to anger her once again.

"Quiddich?" she asked, indicating her posters and various pieces of equipment. Severus had nearly forgotten that she played on the Gryffindor Team before school ended.

"Oh." He personally never liked playing when he was a student. Partly because of Potter and his merry band of Marauders and partly because he wasn't fond of flying. Ginny's expectant face spared no mystery as to her feelings about the game.

He couldn't decide should he lie and say he enjoyed it, opening up another opportunity to humiliate himself further in front of the twins. Or if he should dash their hopes immediately of ever getting him onto a broomstick.

"Well if you haven't played before, we can show you later, after the chores are done." Sometimes the played in the field nearby, where the muggles couldn't see them. It had been less often with the threat of attack, but Ginny was sure her mother would allow them a little time to stretch their muscles after work.

"Alright," he found himself nodding, momentarily swept up in her excitement. Even as bitter and practical as he could be, Severus knew that to deny her something that was obviously important would be more cruel than was allowed after nearly knocking her unconscious with a gnome earlier. Later he would reason with himself that was the only reason, was he felt he owed her that much.

"Good," she smiled. "Let's get to work then, so mum will have no reason to say no."

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**Author's end note: **So, a penny for your thoughts?


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay folks. I've been busy and all that. So I won't waste time with my excuses. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! I'll explain a couple of things about this one.

1) Still AU. But it is more like a Jane Austen setting? As in, yes there is a war going on in the background, but this focuses more on relationships, sort of a pastoral setting? Anyway.

2) Hope no one is out of character.

3) Please enjoy! And anything else I might have overlooked... Thank you AshTonks for reading this for me! Also, if anyone likes the characters Scabior or Hermione (or even both if you're weird like me) I have my second Harry Potter fic up here called Jar of Hearts. If that pairing is to your fancy, feel free to check it out!

4)Thank you so much for all the reviews, PMs, favs, alerts, etc on this fic! I am humbled!

**Disclaimer: **This is just fiction; please do not take it too literally. No money is made from this. I do not own Harry Potter or its associated characters; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Torn at the Soul

Chapter 3

Severus dragged his feet with the rest of the chores, allowing Ginny to press on ahead keeping up a friendly chatter the entire time. This constant babble was why he spent all of his time in his office while he was a professor at Hogwarts. Why did youth insist that the things they said were important?

_Because, _a small voice in the back of his mind reprimanded, _you used to think this way too._

He was torn between wanting to silence her and wanting to listen, from his days of being with Lily. In some ways, the two were nothing alike; but in others, Severus could see where they would have probably been friends under the right circumstances. It was such a waste and it was totally his fault. He would never finish atoning for his transgressions.

"Are you feeling alright Tobias?" her concerned voice cut through his thoughts like a sword. It took him a few moments to pull himself together, as he stared at her face until he could remember his double identity.

"Of course," he affirmed. "Peachy." Ginny was hovering close to his face, like Lily used to, as if she knew he had been floating around hopelessly lost inside of his own world. With the late afternoon sun back-lighting her, his memory of Lily eclipsed Ginny for a few seconds. He shook his head, trying to brush aside the past with the present looming so closely.

"Probably all this cleaning then," Ginny laughed. They were resting in the Weasley's kitchen with cups of afternoon tea.

"What's wrong with cleaning?" Molly demanded as she appeared in the doorway with an arm's full of mending.

"Nothing mum," Ginny covered quickly. "We've enjoyed cleaning today."

"Good," she nodded as she handed Ginny her clothing back. "You'll have a full day of helping your father tomorrow." She turned to Tobias. "You are excused from helping dear." She patted him solidly on the back, enough to make him spurt his sip of tea down the front of clothing. He coughed, trying to clear his throat. What was with all the touching in this house? Did his personal space not matter? Molly drew her wand from the pocket on her apron and with a flick dried him off.

"It's no trouble," he told her, though the words choked out at a different timbre than his normal voice. His eyes were watering and his face was heated as he tried to restore order without sounding disgusting. However, Molly took it differently.

"Oh you poor thing! You miss your family!" She abandoned the mended clothes on the table and scooped him into a firm hug. Severus glanced at Ginny's face before her mother inadvertently tried to crush his ribs, noting her hand over her smirking lips to avoid laughing. This was like one of those muggle comedy sketches only more painful.

Severus had not been hugged this much in a number of years; longer than he cared to recall. His mother had been quite stingy with her love. Severus found he couldn't remember the last time she hugged him. In fact, much of his childhood, she had tried not to even look at him for fear it would bring his father back home. It was like he was a mistake. His throat burned uncomfortably and he felt like he had swallowed gillyweed.

Lily though, Lily loved hugs and friendly affection...

She had been the first person outside of his family, to touch him in such a profound way. Just a soft hand on his, touching his arm when laughing at his remarks about James Potter. Lily had encouraged his dark sense of humor.

Until he wasn't funny anymore...

Until she had grown up to realize that she was too good for him...

"I'm sorry about her," Ginny whispered. Severus wasn't aware that he was even sitting down again until she drew him back with her light conversation. "She means well, I promise." She sipped her tea, glancing over his shoulder, through the window he couldn't see. "With your performance though, we can play in the field for a little while when the twins get back." Severus wasn't surprised that Ginny was sharp enough to pick up on his choking. He let it go.

"Might we go early? I haven't been on a broom in a number of years and I would rather not humiliate myself in the twins' presence any further."

"A number of years? You sound like an old man," Ginny grinned. "But, alright," she shrugged and drained the last of her tea. "I'll fetch the brooms from storage. Meet me out back." Severus wished he had not agreed. The tea he had just consumed was starting to turn on him. He stood with shaky legs and made his way outside. He wasn't sure where the identical terrors had popped off to, but he sure hoped they would not return until he had his confidence up or until Ginny had dropped the matter of his flying for recreation.

Apparating, fine. Muggle transportation, if he had to. Things that were enchanted to fly? No. If he were totally honest with himself, which on stunning occasions of retrospect he was, Severus was afraid of heights.

Yes, Dumbledore's murderer, known Death Eater, notorious potions master, was actually much more afraid of broomsticks than death on most days.

"You look a little green," Ginny commented.

"Must be the lighting." She didn't look terribly convinced; she raised an eyebrow.

"If you say so. Come on. If we're going to get you up in the air before Fred and George come out, we've got to get going." He nodded and followed her silently through fields of rather long grass. Tobias' comment had struck Ginny as particularly odd. He was around her age wasn't he? And yet, he seemed so much older. She threw up a mental wall to keep herself from traveling down the path of Tobias being Snape reincarnated. But that was still a curious comment. Had he meant ages instead?

The fresh air felt like heaven after being trapped in the house most of the afternoon with the dust. Her head was perfectly fine. She was sure she had been through much worse before. There was a light wind, just enough to stir the air. It was wonderful. She closed her eyes for just a few seconds of solitude. It had been so long since she had been outside just for fun.

Behind her, Tobias cleared his throat.

"Sorry. Let's get started with that flying lesson." If Ginny did anything else after the war, she would like to do something involving flying. Most of her non-flying friends would have found it odd that she was more at home on a broomstick than she was on the ground. She didn't understand how muggles got along without broomsticks. There was nothing like the simplicity of an afternoon spent up in the air, with only a Cleansweep between you and the ground.

"Now, the first thing you have to remember," She instructed him as she handed him a broom that was a shade above dodgy, "is to relax. The broom does all the work." The grim expression never left his face, no matter how light she was trying to be. "These brooms only do what you tell them to." As if that were reassuring!

Severus held the broom as if he expected it to explode or something, his face becoming gaunter by the second. Ginny watched him expectantly.

"Just swing your leg over and lightly tap off the ground." Severus wondered if his mouth would disappear into the middle of his face if his lips grew any thinner. She waited, as he awkwardly positioned the broom between his thighs, but his hands were shaking. There was no way. His feet remained as firmly on the ground as if they had sprouted roots.

"Okay, you're off to a good start anyway," Ginny smirked. He was lucky it was only her out here; the twins would have humiliated six feet into the ground. He didn't move from the spot. "Are you afraid?"

"No." But he wouldn't look at her.

"Alright. Then what's the hold up?" He couldn't answer her. "Tobias," she sighed, "I'm going to do this just once," she told him. Severus couldn't help but notice how much more she sounded like her mother by the minute. She strode over and took the broom in her hands, knocking his away. This brash young red-head! "You better hold onto something," she smiled as her feet kicked off from the ground.

Severus had no choice but to grab onto her slender waist to keep from tumbling to the ground below. He shut his eyes tightly and thought of every curse he knew, while her laughing punctuated the background. His stomach felt like it had flipped upside down. Ginny had been spending far too much time around her brothers to pull this stunt. The warmness of her body contrasted with the rushing wind, giving him something else to cling to.

"You looked like you needed a push," Ginny defended, her voice holding no trace of malicious intent. This was something Lily probably would have done. Severus couldn't think of an appropriate reply. Ginny meant him no ill will.

"You call this a push?" His sarcastic remark lost some of its anger with his whole body trembling. Their shoes were just barely clearing the tips of the tall grass as she steered the broom in gentle circles. This was for his benefit? Something inside of his hard interior chipped a little that day. He loosened his death grip on her to enjoy the view under the guise of wiping his palms on his clothes. Had he really been sweating?

If you ignored the fact that you could fall to your doom, it was rather nice. He lost himself in looking at the surrounding countryside; which made the twins' plan work perfectly.

"Surprise!" one twin shouted.

"Attack!" shouted the other as they swooped in from nowhere. Ginny narrowly managed to avoid the quaffle flying toward her and Tobias by diving suddenly; just when Severus had been feeling a little more at ease on the broom. Out of instinct to stay alive he would reason to himself later, he gripped her waist again, pressing his face into her soft mane that fell over her back in rich waves. He hoped to Merlin that he didn't puke on her.

The twins laughed as they continued to play a warped version of dodge ball around Ginny and Tobias. Had it been anyone else, Severus probably would have demanded to be set down on the ground immediately. However, he had seen the confidence that Ginny displayed and he trusted her as much as he was capable of.

After a few moments, he noted that the terrible duo were not as random as they appeared. They had a sort of pattern going, to help build their timing as well as Ginny's reflexes. They were better than he gave them credit for. Hastily, he began giving her directions on what tactic they would try next and she responded above expectations.

"That's not fair," George shouted.

"There are two of you," Severus snapped back. "And two of us. Fair." And so the game continued until Arthur had to come get them for supper.

That night, as Severus lay in the borrowed bed, he examined the proceedings of the day and chalked it up to summer madness. Today was just strange circumstances. Tomorrow.

Tomorrow he would return back to his normal, grudging self.

As Ginny lay in her bed, she examined all the odd things that Tobias had said or done during the day. He was a curious sort of fellow. But at least he seemed to be coming out of his shell nicely.

* * *

**Author's End Notes: **Penny for your thoughts?


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